I had shaken off my enemies.
When I had recovered my breath I travelled swiftly on, and waded
knee-deep through several brooks, for it came into my head that
they might follow me with dogs.
On gaining a clear place and looking round me, I found to my
delight that in spite of my adventures I had not been much out of
my way. Above me towered the peak of Merodal, with its bare and
bold summit shooting out of the groves of dwarf oaks which
shrouded its flanks.
These groves were the continuation of the cover under which I
found myself, and it seemed to me that I had nothing to fear now
until I reached the other side of the forest. At the same time I
knew that every man's hand was against me, that I was unarmed,
and that there were many people about me. I saw no one, but
several times I heard shrill whistles, and once the sound of a
gun in the distance.
It was hard work pushing one's way through the bushes, and so I
was glad when I came to the larger trees and found a path which
led between them.
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